Who knew Yoga could be so fun and engaging? Plana Forma Senior Instructor Celine Encarnacion looked more like a rock star on stage than a typical trainer. Hundreds of participants followed her lead as music accompanied yoga movements with a more ‘cardio’ bent. Everyone enjoyed the stretching movements of yoga at a higher more exciting pace.

The RXN FIT FEST featured the top fitness trends along with the best instructors in the country in one amazing event last November 14, 2015 at the SMX Convention center. BODY JAM was lead by Fitness First, BARRE YOGA was lead by Plana Forma and CIRCUIT TRAINING by 360 Fitness.

For less than a few hundred pesos you can choose one of these programs or even a day pass for all of them. The ticket includes an RXN FIT FEST Kit (contained in a light and hip gym bag): CORE Speed Rope, Rexona gym towel, Water bottle and Rexona Sport 48H body spray. Everyone also loved the now famous gym shirt in dry fit material. Exclusive to the Plana Forma program for that day, participants were given a surprise gift when they got to take home the yoga mats.

If that’s not enough, free 3 day passes to these top fitness clubs (Plana Forma, 360 Fitness & Fitness First were also raffled off to lucky participants. Everyone should take advantage of this great deal when it comes around again.

RXN FIT FEST is the most fun you’ll ever have working out. RXN FIT FEST was held at the SMX Convention Center last Nov 14, 2015. Photo by Jude Bautista

Gretchen Ho of GAMEDAY Weekend was one of many celebrities who were there to participate, “It was a great test of my flexibility. I thoroughly enjoyed the cardio work out. I was not used to the yoga portion. But its just a matter of knowing what you enjoy, what you like doing. That’s what today is all about. We’re going to experience yoga, cardio, barre, Body jam and Circuit Training. So everyone out there its time to discover what you enjoy and exercise is all about that.”

Plana Forma is one of the leading studious that takes advantage of combining different programs to create the ideal work out. They have branches in the Fort, QC, Makati and even Davao. Director for Training Van Manalo explains, “Plana Forma is a combination of dance, pilates and yoga. We use yoga for stretches, the pilates is for the ab part. Dance because we follow the beat of the music.”

The official Plana Forma website describes the results or goal of their program: Defined and toned muscles a long and lean body are just the visible results you will soon discover, but the benefits of Plana FORMA go much, much deeper. You will experience an increase in lung capacity, metabolic rate and bone density. It can also decrease back pains, stress levels and sluggishness; all of which will lend you that glow of health, which -let’s face it- is the real essence of sexy.

Participants could win prizes for posting their pics with the hashtag -#RXNFITFEST. RXN FIT FEST was held at the SMX Convention Center last Nov 14, 2015. Photo by Jude Bautista

Special RXN Program

The program was specifically designed for the RXN Fit Fest, “We’ve had Ashtanga offering in our studio but was not as popular. So we had a compromise. Its not as pure yoga but we still have the signature heat of forma. Rexona requested for cardio yoga. So we put a lot of movement into the pose, more flow. We’re very pleased to be part of RXN Fit Fest.”

Barkadas had fun in RXN Fit Fest; RXN FIT FEST was held at the SMX Convention Center last Nov 14, 2015. Photo by Jude Bautista

The program was also designed to cater to a wider group from beginners to advance participants, “The pure Plana Forma is super hot and super extreme burn. This one is lighter than that. The stretches in our Plana Forma class are really quick. But this one you linger. You stay there 10 or 20 seconds.”

There’s a specific purpose to the selection of music according to Vic Manalo, “We use ambient music so people can follow a certain beat. If you choose to have music with higher BPM (beats per minute) your heart rate is a little higher. We choose songs with higher bpms to increase the heart rate from the beginning of the work out. Then slower, calming music is used to cool down in the end. You choose a song with that bpm. There’s a range it can fall into.”

RXN FIT FEST is the most fun you’ll ever have working out. RXN FIT FEST was held at the SMX Convention Center last Nov 14, 2015. Photo by Jude Bautista

Strength and Trimming down

The difference of Plana Forma results is more on trimming down fat and increasing strength rather than just losing weight, “In Plana Forma we don’t lose weight. We lose the inches. You trim down. We have lots of ladies who are actually asking. They drop down one or two dress sizes but the weight doesn’t change. So I tell them your strength is based on muscles. If you do forma you shrink because the fat muscles shrink but you get stronger. If you want to lose weight then you have to lose protein. So that’s less strength.”

More and more guys are getting into Barre Yoga by PLANA FORMA. RXN FIT FEST was held at the SMX Convention Center last Nov 14, 2015. Photo by Jude Bautista

More men have also been joining Plana Forma as an alternative to more injury prone sports or workouts, “I’ve heard that there are injuries from other harder exercises. Maybe they want to try something else less stressful in the joints. Since its not pure yoga it may not have the requirement of being too flexible or supple right away. It’s a good compromise.”

Rexona teamed up w leading studio PLANA FORMA for a successful RXN Fit Fest. RXN FIT FEST was held at the SMX Convention Center last Nov 14, 2015. Photo by Jude Bautista

Another reason more men have been attracted is the increased strength and toning results due to the Plana Forma program, “There’s one guy who used to go to the gym all the time. Then he tried Plana Forma for 2 months. Then he started to get the ‘V’ shape he wanted. He had the tone the definition and just enough bulk. But not the bulk you get when you power lift.’

Trainers in Plana Forma are also one of the most qualified. Senior Trainer Celine Encarnacion has received international training in New York City for Physique 57, Pilates Academy International Method- Singapore and is Greenpath Vinyasa Yoga Certified (Clayton Horton) among others.

The First event of its kind RXN Fit Fest was very well attended. RXN FIT FEST was held at the SMX Convention Center last Nov 14, 2015. Photo by Jude Bautista

The RXN FIT FEST for him is heaven sent for their own brand of Barre Yoga, “We were pleasantly surprised at the huge crowd we got. We hesitated in joining initially because there are other more specialized yoga studios. Then again we are the only one able to combine yoga with pilates, cardio work outs and put them together in the best way.”

You don’t have to be a professional dancer to enjoy the club scene or rave as they used to call it. Lose yourself in the music and dance, just like Galantis’ hit RUNAWAY. That’s what fitness craze BODY JAM banks on to help you be fit and lose calories. It gives you the best of the club scene without the cigarette smoke, alcohol or drugs.

There were countless beautiful faces, hot bodies and hunks during the RXN Fit fest. Actually there was a great mix of ages, people, groups, genders all wanting to work out, have fun and get healthier. Body Jam may be the most fun you’ll ever have working out.

Participants could win prizes for posting their pics with the hashtag -#RXNFITFEST. RXN FIT FEST was held at the SMX Convention Center last Nov 14, 2015. Photo by Jude Bautista

RXN FIT FEST is the most fun you’ll ever have working out. RXN FIT FEST was held at the SMX Convention Center last Nov 14, 2015. Photo by Jude Bautista

The RXN FIT FEST featured the top fitness trends along with the best instructors in the country in one amazing event last November 14, 2015 at the SMX Convention center. BODY JAM was lead by Fitness First, BARRE YOGA was lead by Plana Forma and CIRCUIT TRAINING by 360 Fitness.

For less than a few hundred pesos you can choose one of these programs or even a day pass for all of them. The ticket includes an RXN FIT FEST Kit (contained in a light and hip gym bag): CORE Speed Rope, Rexona gym towel, Water bottle and Rexona Sport 48H body spray. Everyone also loved the now famous gym shirt in dry fit material. Exclusive to the Plana Forma program for that day, participants were given a surprise gift when they got to take home the yoga mats.

If that’s not enough, free 3 day passes to these top fitness clubs (Plana Forma, 360 Fitness & Fitness First) were also raffled off to lucky participants. Everyone should take advantage of this great deal when it comes around again.

Fitness First Instructor Andre Sunga; RXN FIT FEST was held at the SMX Convention Center last Nov 14, 2015. Photo by Jude Bautista

Fitness First instructor Andre Sunga was very impressed with RXN Fit fest, “Its very special because not all people know about Body Jam. We have it as a program in Fitness First. This is the only event that has introduced it to the public. Hopefully more people will be interested to get to know it and love it. This used to be exclusive for Fitness First. They were the pioneers here in featuring Body Jam. It’s still staying strong. It progresses; it used to be easy music now it’s hard core mostly EDM (Electronic Dance music). More EDM than the single tracks we have.”

Fitness First is the pioneer in Body Jam locally. RXN FIT FEST was held at the SMX Convention Center last Nov 14, 2015. Photo by Jude Bautista

Andre defines the program this way, “Body Jam is a combination of different genres of dances. It includes Latin, Jazz, hip hop, everything you could think about on modern music. It incorporates the workout within it. The core of the program is to get loose in the sensation of dancing. That’s the main thing with body jam. As long as it’s dancing and sweating a lot.”

RXN FIT FEST is the most fun you’ll ever have working out. RXN FIT FEST was held at the SMX Convention Center last Nov 14, 2015. Photo by Jude Bautista

There were a lot of male participants, easily half along with the pretty women. Andre shared, “I just got into body jam in 2010. I fell in love with it. It’s not like the old typical aerobics. It’s a hip-hop combination and it exhausts you. That’s why I fell in love with the program.”

The First event of its kind RXN Fit Fest was very well attended. RXN FIT FEST was held at the SMX Convention Center last Nov 14, 2015. Photo by Jude Bautista

It is even more mentally engaging than say running or even basketball, “Its better, it includes your mind. You’re working all the time it’s a fast pace. But you do it one at a time a slow combination of dances. It incorporates everything in the end. At the end you just break out and lose yourself. We teach you to dance but the program is very beneficial for the health.”

RXN FIT FEST is the most fun you’ll ever have working out. RXN FIT FEST was held at the SMX Convention Center last Nov 14, 2015. Photo by Jude Bautista

The appeal of body jam is the ease and fun. They start you off with a few basic steps or movements. The instructor continually guides you. After repeating the step or movement several times you put them together. The progression is very gradual and easy to learn.

Participants could win prizes for posting their pics with the hashtag -#RXNFITFEST. RXN FIT FEST was held at the SMX Convention Center last Nov 14, 2015. Photo by Jude Bautista

Hotties take an usie, barkadas had great fun in RXN fit fest. RXN FIT FEST was held at the SMX Convention Center last Nov 14, 2015. Photo by Jude Bautista

He adds, “You don’t need to be a dancer as long as you have fun doing it. Everybody could do it actually because its very very slow paced. And you take it one a t a time. In the end you just go crazy dancing in the classes. Sooner than you know it you lose 500 calories.”

The best place for Body Jam is still Fitness First, “It’s the most established. The foundation is stronger. Most of the programs originated in Fitness First. That’s the main core of Body Jam, even if its offered in other clubs its more solid there.” Andre believes RXN Fit Fest will gain even more participants next year, “I think it will grow to a strong annual thing. This is the first run and its pretty good.”

Fitness first instructors with 3 day pass raffle winners. RXN FIT FEST was held at the SMX Convention Center last Nov 14, 2015. Photo by Jude Bautista